Man With the Midas Touch

When you think of superstar GM's in sports today, a few names may come to mind:

The Steinbrenner family
Jerry Jones
Danny Ainge
Ted Thompson
Mickey Loomis

...Jon Daniels??

Yes, the now 34 year old Daniels, the Texas Rangers GM (who, at 28, was the youngest GM in MLB history when he was given the position in '05), is on fire right now. In the last 3 years, Daniels and the Rangers have become some of the biggest players in trades, free agent signings, and international scouting throughout all of baseball. Not only do they have one of the best ball clubs in baseball, but also one of the best developmental and farm systems to match.

One of the most difficult jobs for a GM to do is to get a club the talent to win a championship. It takes years and years, and many moves to try and find the right talent to mesh to be competitive. But that's only the half of it. Not only do they have to have the talent to GET THERE, but once there, they have to STAY THERE. Making the moves to try and keep that window open as long as possible is what separates good GM's from great ones. And Jon Daniels has become one of the best in the business at that.

When Daniels inherited the team in '05, his plan has been simple: build from within. With a complete tear down and shakeup of the organization, the Rangers put themselves in "rebuild" mode. It takes patience, from both the organization and the fans. But building talent from within by stockpiling key prospects to move, as well as develop them to compete with the big club, it allows for the Rangers to be so flexible with the things they do in the off season, as well as the trade deadline. Look at the current roster. Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz. All brought here in trades for marquee veterans (Elvis and Neftali both in the Teixeira trade). And most of the other players on the roster were developed in house (Moreland, Chavez, Gentry, Kinsler). So, instead of taking the "Yankee" approach to things in the off-season and throw copious amounts of money at players to try and coax them, Daniels and his team get creative, move their stockpiled prospects that they have at their disposal, and make moves that not only help the team currently, but do not jeopardize their future (Cliff Lee trade and this past weekends Uehara and Adams trade come to mind). It is an art, and it is truly fascinating.

Jon Daniels has the Midas Touch, plain and simple. Any move he has his hands on turns to gold. He not only has pulled the Rangers out of the doldrums of the MLB, but led them to a World Series, and made sure they will have the talent to get back. For many years to come. And the scariest part about it? He just seems to get better. Each year, the moves get better and better. They make more and more sense. They become easier and easier. And this success makes it much easier to bring in outside talent via free agency (Adrian Beltre comes to mind). In the end, no GM is hotter in the last 3-4 years than Jon Daniels, the mastermind, the puppeteer behind the scenes that has silently made the Rangers into a powerhouse organization for many, many years to come. Give this man a pat on the back when you see him.

-Taylor
TAG Radio Founding Father